DETROIT — Bilal Coulibaly, one of the Washington Wizards’ prized young players, will likely miss the remainder of this season because of a right hamstring strain.
Team officials announced that Coulibaly will be out approximately four-to-six weeks but did not say his season is over. Since there are only four weeks and three days until the Wizards’ season finale on April 13, it appears highly unlikely Coulibaly will return.
Coulibaly’s hamstring will not require surgery, a team official said, and he is expected to remain with the team while he recovers. But his injury is a tough blow to a team that hoped to use the final month of the season to continue developing its youngsters.
The Wizards (13-51) rely on Coulibaly to guard opponents’ best perimeter playmakers and scorers. Although defense is Coulibaly’s trademark, the second-year wing has made strides on offense this season, particularly with his ballhandling and passing. He’s averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 59 games this season.
It’s a sad coincidence that Coulibaly, 20, suffered his injury on a play that demonstrated his progression into someone who can beat defenders off the dribble.
On March 10 in Toronto, Coulibaly pump-faked beyond the 3-point line, drove past the Raptors’ Jamison Battle and threw down a two-handed dunk. As Coulibaly hung on the rim, Battle undercut him, causing Coulibaly to fall back-first onto the court. He strained his right hamstring and bruised his right hip in the process.
In the immediate aftermath, team officials were thankful Coulibaly had not sustained an injury to his head, neck or back.
“Those are always scary for a coach,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said Tuesday night before the hamstring injury was diagnosed. “You never want to see that for any player, your own or opposing (players). It’s the guys’ livelihoods. You never want to see anybody have a play like that, but unfortunately, that stuff happens in this league.”
An MRI revealed the hamstring strain.
Coulibaly’s rookie season was cut short last March by a season-ending injury. Coulibaly fractured his right wrist during a game against Chicago, underwent surgery and recovered in time to play for France’s national team during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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(This story will be updated.)
(Photo: Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)
